I need advice for Pharm School.

[knkx3]

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Hey guys! I really do need some advice, as I feel so lost and confused. The problem is that when starting college in fall 06, I really didn't know what I wanted to be, and I settled on pharmacy, because it's what my mom wanted me to do. My sister is a pharmacist and just seeing and hearing her speak about it doesn't sound like a bad job. I did volunteer at a hospital pharmacy for one summer, during my junior year in high school and didn't mind it at all. I liked learning about the different medications and what not. But since then, that's been the only experience I've had in the pharmacy department.

I started my college career at University of Texas at San Antonio, in hopes to go to UT Austin, but then decided that maybe University of Houston seemed more logical, as it was a little closer to home. Leaving San Antonio, I had a 3.0 GPA and after transferring to UH, it has fallen drastically. less than a 2.5. =( I still want to pursue Pharmacy school, and I want to attend for Fall 2010, as I only have one more year to finish my courses.

I feel so unmotivated, I don't know why. I guess because I know my GPA is no where near where I NEED it to be, but I don't want to give up too easily. I feel like the courses I take are so challenging and I had to retake basically all my science classes and even received an F in one of them, which I will be retaking in Spring 2010. I feel so ashamed and embarrassed and I keep telling myself to do better, but I think all the negative feedback makes me too afraid to want to keep trying. As of right now, I also have 3 D's. sigh...

Can anyone give me any advice? Where do I go from here? Should I just find another career to go into? What schools should I even consider?

Any feedback would be great!! Thanks!

 

[Carboxide]

If you are having trouble with basic science courses, then you will have a LOT of trouble with pharmacy school courses. I suggest you find a new career. Pharmacy is not for everyone.

 

[avuong]

You will need to ace your classes from now on and get at least a 3.0 to be considered. You will also need to ace your PCAT. (80 or above)

Not everyone who applies to professional schools makes it in, so you should always prepare to consider alternate career paths. Find your passion whether it is in pharmacy or something else, and set your mind on that goal. After that moment, you will become unstoppable.

 

[Passion4Sci]

The first thing you need to do is to address why you perform so poorly in the science courses.

Do you have poor study habits? Spend too much time doing other things and rushing homework/lab writeups? Do your eyes gloss over the pages while you "study" leaving you with no real comprehension of what you're reading?

I mean, Ds and Fs (Less than 60% of total points possible in a class...) is just really, really bad and speaks to a problem larger than just a mere misunderstanding of the content, a poor instructor, or something to that effect.

You will not succeed in Pharmacy unless you identify what the problem is. Time management skills are extremely important when you're studying content like we are. Maybe some people feel I exaggerate this, but for me, I need to study my brains out to get an A on an Orgo or Physics test. Some folks on SDN truly "get" this material without little more than thinking about it for a few moments. For the rest of us, it's determination and excellent study habits. Seeing a tutor, putting your ego aside and saying "Yes, I have a problem" is key. It seems like you're realizing this, but sadly, it's really late in the ballgame for you. I see Pharmacy school as worthy of sacrifice in my life. My wife knows that my priority is Pharmacy school, not a dinner date, not a movie, not going to San Francisco to see Wicked... Are you making similar concessions in your personal life to accomodate a VERY difficult goal?

Is it insurmountable? Of course not. But the road ahead of you is most assuredly not going to get any easier.

 

[thephoenician88]

Hey guys! I really do need some advice, as I feel so lost and confused. The problem is that when starting college in fall 06, I really didn't know what I wanted to be, and I settled on pharmacy, because it's what my mom wanted me to do. My sister is a pharmacist and just seeing and hearing her speak about it doesn't sound like a bad job. I did volunteer at a hospital pharmacy for one summer, during my junior year in high school and didn't mind it at all. I liked learning about the different medications and what not. But since then, that's been the only experience I've had in the pharmacy department.

I started my college career at University of Texas at San Antonio, in hopes to go to UT Austin, but then decided that maybe University of Houston seemed more logical, as it was a little closer to home. Leaving San Antonio, I had a 3.0 GPA and after transferring to UH, it has fallen drastically. less than a 2.5. =( I still want to pursue Pharmacy school, and I want to attend for Fall 2010, as I only have one more year to finish my courses.

I feel so unmotivated, I don't know why. I guess because I know my GPA is no where near where I NEED it to be, but I don't want to give up too easily. I feel like the courses I take are so challenging and I had to retake basically all my science classes and even received an F in one of them, which I will be retaking in Spring 2010. I feel so ashamed and embarrassed and I keep telling myself to do better, but I think all the negative feedback makes me too afraid to want to keep trying. As of right now, I also have 3 D's. sigh...

Can anyone give me any advice? Where do I go from here? Should I just find another career to go into? What schools should I even consider?

Any feedback would be great!! Thanks!

you answered that question...

 

[Passion4Sci]

you answered that question...

Wow, nice, you kicked my butt on that one.

 

[knkx3]

well thanks for the input guys. i definitely have been trying to think of another career path.. i guess i really have let a lot of personal problems overcome and consume my life, so i know i can only blame myself for what has happened. i just wish it wasn't too late...

 

[Storm90]

It's not too late, it's just going to be really hard if you do decide to continue on. Maybe take a year off or something and re-evaluate your goals. If you really and truly want to be a pharmacist, not just because others want you to, then you'll hopefully come back focused and driven. But you will need to get nearly straight A's and solid PCATs to bolster your app, along with experience, volunteer work, etc.

 

[FarscapeGirl]

It really sounds like you're not that into pharmacy. I'd explore some other career paths. What classes have you enjoyed? What do you do in your spare time? What kind of work load/life style do you want when you finish school?

I started grad school and realized pretty early on that I didn't want to stay in research. I explored other paths while staying in school, in case what I wanted to do would require a PhD. I knew I wanted to do something with science and health but I wasn't sure what. Finally, year four of grad school I discovered pharmacy.

When you finally figure out what you want to do, you'll have the passion you need to put in all the work to get to that career.